Scarlet Love
by FairiesInOurHearts
Summary: A collection of stories for the Jerza week 2015.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: The Jerza week had begun! Hooray! Well, not really, it starts in a week from now, but today is the bonus day and guess what, I have a story written for it! :D (It's a bit bitter sweet, but it's Jerza, so...)**

 **I'm really excited to see all the entries! Our babies deserve a little attention, considering they have close to none in the manga... (At least our poor little fugitive)**

 **Anyway, I wrote stories for _all_ prompts, except the last one, but I'm sure I'll write it soon! All the stories variate in length and quality, but I do hope you'll enjoy them! :)**

 **And now, without further ado, I present you:**

Bonus Day

Prompt: Tomorrow

Word count: 986

* * *

Lying beside her was the best feeling in the world, better than anything he could have hoped for. Feeling the softness of her skin against his, listening to her breath and her heartbeat… It brought him so much joy. Her scarlet tresses lay messily on her pillow, on his chest, and though now closed, her eyes that hold so much love make him feel like the happiest man on Earth. This woman, this _goddess_ is his to hold, and he is hers to keep. Their love was so tragic, it was so painful, but it was _theirs_ and it was _beautiful_ and indestructible. If they tried to tear his heart open and leave it to bleed, it would still beat for _her_ , forever and always. These feelings he had could never be destroyed, no matter what destiny threw their way. He knew he didn't deserve her, he tried to _stay away_ , but in the end he always returned to her, unable to leave her side for too long. He loved her too much – sometimes, he was afraid he suffocated her.

But she accepted him with open arms, even though he had, at one time, become a monster she had to defeat. Her warm embrace was his only home, the only place he felt _safe_ in. His heart belonged to her, and she kept it protected, away from prying eyes, away from the cruel reality. She gave him everything. He would give her even more.

The first time he allowed himself to touch her, if only for a fleeting moment, he realized that for him, there was no escape. But it was not too late for her; she could still back away, she could still leave and pretend _they_ never happened, they never existed, and tomorrow, she could move on with her life. Stubborn as she was, she refused that. She gave him some space. She kept away. But never once did she intend to leave him for good. They were strange, the two of them – it was as if destiny purposely brought them together, only to cruelly tear them apart every time. But she had hope that one day, they'd win, or at least fate would leave them alone, and she was right. Somehow, they met again, and again, and again, and one day, it just _happened_. They weren't him and her anymore. They were _them_ , and they were happy. So happy, he feared everyday that something would take her away, that he would be left without her again, and he could not survive that, not now, after he finally had her within an arm's reach.

So every day, he lived in fear, and every night, he prayed that his earlier wishes are never heard. The tomorrow he so desperately wanted for her, now he dreaded.

He never wanted tomorrow to come.

…

Lying beside him was a feeling she craved since long ago, on all those cold nights she thought about him, and worried for him. She knew he didn't want her to care, but there was no way she could fight that. This blue haired man, this _stubborn_ , _stupid_ man she loved, always put her before him, but he didn't know that _she_ put _him_ before herself, as well. She spent so many days dreading, fearing, hoping that she'd somehow be able to meet him, to push those sickening thoughts of his demise away. And now, _now that she had him_ , there, next to her, now that she could feel his heartbeat beneath her palm, that she could smell his unique scent, that she could see the content smile on his face, now, she was truly at ease. He was there and he was safe. Even better, he was _hers_. For so long she had to hide her feelings, she was overjoyed she could finally share them, with _him_. The only man she could ever love, the only one who would ever posses her heart, the one she needed, and the one that needed _her_.

His useless attempts at staying away and letting her go only further strengthened her feelings for him, and made her resolve of being patient stronger. She was stubborn as well – more than he knew – and she decided that two could play that game. He decided it was best for her to be away from him? Fine, all she had to do was prove him otherwise. So she waited, and waited, and waited for a tomorrow when he would realize they couldn't be one without the other. And when that tomorrow came, _oh, when it finally came_ , she grabbed it with both her hands and held onto it like a lifeline – because in a way, it was. And when all of his defenses crumbled down before her, she forced her way into his life, and she decided she was there to stay, not just as a memory, but as a constant, as something he couldn't live without. She loved him despite anything, and he had to accept that, because she didn't care if she was being clingy – he was hers, and she would cling as much as she wanted.

Now, after their happiness finally came, and they were together at last, she couldn't wait to see what more did the future have in store for them. She knew there would be many more hardships to face, but she could feel it in her heart that they would get through them even stronger than they were before. She doubted that their love could grow any further, as it was already as big as the world, but there was no doubt in her mind that it could become even stronger, and it _would_ become stronger, and every new day they faced would only bring them closer to their happily ever after.

So she patiently waited, once again, with unbreakable faith in their bright future.

She couldn't wait for tomorrow to come again.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: It's here! Jerza week day one! I actually thought it was tomorrow, so I'm posting this a bit late, sorry! Anyway, I want to thank the moderators of the week, because they are posting the link to my stories on the special jerza week tumblr page! Check it out, that's where the entries will be posted! :D**

 **Also, this was supposed to be short, but it's kinda not... And between roses and strawberries, I picked roses (and just a short mention of strawberries at the end). A very important character in this story is my OC, a nice old lady telling the story to our dear red head.**

 **Hope you'll enjoy the story and happy Jerza week! :)**

Day 1.

Prompt: Roses/Strawberries

Word count: 2816

* * *

Walking along the garden of roses brought a kind of joy to Erza's heart. Beautiful flowers surrounded her and hypnotized her with their smell. White, yellow, pink, any color you wanted was there. Any, but red. That confused Erza a bit – red roses were one of the most popular flowers, it seemed strange that a _rose_ garden wouldn't have them. The confusion must have been obvious on her face, as an elderly lady (that she hadn't even noticed was there) spoke up to her.

"May I ask what are you looking for, young lady?", the old woman asked, although she had already known the answer.

Erza, after going over her initial shock (she believed she was alone), collected herself and answered the question with the dignity of the Queen of Fairies.

"I apologize if I sound unkind, but I couldn't help but notice the lack of red roses.", she said, clearing her throat. "Would you mind explaining the reason to me?"

The old lady smiled, and for a moment her eyes looked as if they've returned to the past, remembering the old times, when she, herself, was a young woman with wishes and dreams, some of which had been fulfilled, some not.

"Because, my dear", she said, coming closer to Erza, "this is no ordinary rose garden.". Erza seemed confused by the answer, and subtly urged the old woman to continue her story. "This garden, my darling, is the garden of my desires."

"The garden of your desires?", the scarlet haired woman repeated, now even more confused than before. "I am sorry, but I do not understand… Could you… provide the details?", she said, trying not to come off as rude, but there was _something_ about the garden that intrigued her very much, and she was interested to find out more about it.

The old woman looked thoughtful for a moment, then eyed Erza from head to toe. The knight didn't shift at all, and stood her ground as the woman in front of her evaluated her. When she was done with inspecting Erza, the woman smiled and sighed.

"It's been such a long time… I guess I might as well tell the story. Besides", she said while looking into Erza's eyes and offering a gentle smile, "you remind me a bit of myself when I was your age. This story is a private one, that I had kept locked inside my soul for a long time. I hope I don't need to explain just how special it is to me.", the old lady said while sitting down at a bench in front of a small, round clearing, that seemed to have been specially made for something, that wasn't there. Erza sat next to her, nodding her head and thanking the lady for providing her with such an honor. The two of them were quiet for a while, before the wrinkled, old lady with gray hair and gentle brown eyes started telling the story of her youth.

…

 _A young woman in her late teens walked around the busy streets of the noisy town she lived in. Her warm brown eyes sparkled with joy and her wavy brown hair fluttered about, carried by the wind that was blowing. It started being very obvious that the autumn had come, but the girl didn't mind the drop of the temperature at all. She smiled as a middle aged woman with a small child waved her way, and she waved back. Some of her friends had also taken a walk, and now they were chattering beneath the colorful tree, and she greeted them as well. She continued walking down the road, and as she did, there were fewer and fewer people around her, indicating that she was going towards the outskirts of the town._

 _What she didn't expect to see there, though, was a small field of roses still in their full bloom, even though it was already autumn. She stopped to admire their beauty, and her heart started fluttering. She was drawn to those roses, whether because of their smell or something else, she didn't know. Suddenly, she was walking towards them, unaware of the elderly lady appearing behind her._

" _Are they not beautiful, young one?", the short old woman asked, and the young girl was startled for a bit, before collecting herself and muttering a small "yes". The short woman subtly eyed her, and came closer to her, while she slightly backed away. The old woman smiled._

" _They are my pride and joy, every one of them.", the old woman said so honestly, and genuinely happy, that the brown haired girl dropped her guard for a bit. "What is your name, young one?", she asked, and the girl answered after a few moments of thinking._

"… Roza _.", she answered, and the old woman smiled again._

" _Then,_ Roza _, do you believe in magic?"_

 _Roza was a bit surprised by the question. Sure, she was not a wizard herself, but their country, and the continent was full of them. She looked at the old woman in front of her, that started being more suspicious than at the beginning, but nevertheless answered the question, feeling that this was something she should do._

" _Yes. Yes I do. What of it?", she then asked, and the old woman's smile grew even wider. She touched one of the roses and called Roza to do the same. Roza reluctantly agreed, but when she touched it, she felt a sudden surge of energy flow through her body. It was warm and inviting, and at that moment Roza decided that the old woman couldn't be bad._

" _My dear, do you feel it? Do you feel the magic coursing through your veins? Those roses are the source, are they not?", the old woman said, and Roza slowly nodded her head. "These, my Roza, are the roses of desire. They represent every single wish in my life I had that was fulfilled. They represent my happiness, and my gratitude.", the lady then turned to look at her, and pulled out a bag. Roza already knew what was inside._

" _Come, Roza. Come, and take them. Take these seeds and plant them in your garden, and make sure to nurture them." Roza watched with amazement and excitement as the old lady put the bag inside her hands and smiled. The young woman noticed that the old lady had clear blue eyes, that radiated a lifetime of happiness. Roza wanted that – so she took the bag and thanked the old lady._

" _Now, dear, the roses you plant are your responsibility. It is in your hands, to make yourself happy, and to make those roses bloom. Remember to always fight for your happiness, and one day, you'll have a garden as beautiful as mine."_

" _Thank you, ma'am. I will be sure to do so."_

…

"… and so, I came to possession of such precious treasure, this magic garden.", Roza finished her story, and Erza seemed to be in awe. The woman whose brown hair was long taken away by the years smiled, and gestured with her hands at every rose in her little personal heaven.

"This one, this one grew first, after I finished planting them all. It was born from the satisfaction of having made such a big step. And this one here, it grew when I met my best friend again after many years. The one over there…", she continued talking, and Erza listened to everything with a gentle smile on her face. Roza was glowing, and it was obvious that her garden made her very happy. However, Erza couldn't get the red rose out of her head. It was missing, and Erza already had an idea why, but she didn't dare say it out loud. Roza, though, noticed that the scarlet haired woman was lost in her thoughts. She sighed, then smiled sadly.

"… The place where we were sitting, that's where the red rose was supposed to grow.", she said, and Erza woke from her daze. She felt bad for invoking sad thoughts, so she tried to stop the old woman from talking.

"I-It's okay, you don't have to-", she tried, but Roza stopped her, and gently shook her head.

"I want to. I _need_ to. Besides, that was what got your attention in the first place, isn't it, my dear child?", the old woman said, and Erza reluctantly nodded after a few seconds. Roza continued her story.

"You see, there was a man I loved more than I ever thought I could.", she said, and a small smile found its way on her lips. "He was a very handsome and kind man, smart and strong, and did his best to help whomever he could. He was… Simply amazing. But, one day, it all… changed.", Roza said, and the smile disappeared, turning into a sad grimace. Erza timidly took hold of the old woman's hand, and she squeezed it back.

"At that time, our country was in a very bad relationship with the neighboring countries, especially the north ones. War was impending. Eventually, it broke out, and men were recruited to fight for our home, mages or not. _He_ was one of them, naturally. He bravely marched into the unknown and dangerous, and left me with only five words…"

" _I'll be back, my rose."_

Erza was openly sobbing by now, and Roza wasn't doing any better, either. The scarlet haired woman had finally understood now – she lost her loved one in the war and-

"He returned, just as he promised."

Erza was now completely shocked. She believed that he died in the battlefield, but now it turned out he actually returned! Then, why? What could have happened?

Sensing that the scarlet haired woman was, once again, confused, Roza began talking again, and Erza became even more attentive.

"He returned, but he was not the same. The war broke him.", Roza's expression turned somber and serious. "He… had nightmares, he couldn't sleep. He always walked around with dark circles under his bloodshot eyes. He was jumpy, and started being unpleasant. Eventually he… started drinking."

Roza shivered when she remembered the way he changed, the way he became distant and unreachable. But he was not at fault. No.

"The military didn't even offer to help him. They left him there broken, with just medals and scars as silent reminders of what he had been through, of what turned him into the man he was. I… I wanted… I wanted to help him, to be there for him, to _save_ him, but _they_ … They didn't let me!"

Erza awkwardly hugged the now crying lady and rubbed soothing circles into her back, but Roza didn't stop crying. She started shaking more and more, and her voice was breaking. The sight tugged at Erza's heartstrings in the worst possible way, and the tears that ran down her face couldn't be stopped anymore.

"My family told me to get away, my friends told me to stay away, everyone did! It was as if they forgot who he'd been, who he _was_ and what he had sacrificed to insure our safety. Oh, my dear, they all turned their backs on him!", Roza wept, and Erza held her tighter, crying alongside her. "But that, that wasn't the worst part. Darling, he had turned his back on _himself_.", Roza whispered, and something lodged in Erza's throat and suddenly, her head was full of thoughts about a blue haired man, who walked the world alone, rejected by the society and rejected by himself. The man, whose heart was bigger than the hearts of so many people, yet he refused to believe so, and he refused to let others help him. _Redemption_ , he called it. _Punishment_. But Erza knew those were just meaningless sacrifices he made time and time again, and he'd continue to make if his friends, if _she_ didn't stop him. And she finally realized why she was there, with Roza, sitting in that beautiful but incomplete garden – so she would not make the same mistake.

Roza quickly dried her tears and stood up, walking towards one of the roses.

"He… told me I deserved better and that I should find someone else. And, eventually, I did.", she said as she gently caressed the pink rose beneath her fingers. "I loved my husband very much, and our children, I adore. They are my world and the biggest happiness of my life.", Roza touched two more roses, and gently smiled. Erza smiled at the sight, recognizing the look of love on a mother's face, one she hoped she'd wear herself, one day. "… Still, not a day had passed that I didn't wander what would have happened if I… didn't give up so easily. He was my true love, dear Erza, that, I know. He was my soulmate, and I was his. But we didn't get our happy ending.", Roza sadly whispered, then slowly walked over to Erza and took her hands in her own.

"That's why, my child, I am telling you to fight.", she said, and Erza was caught off guard. "I can sense it, my dear, that you love someone so strongly, so passionately, and he loves you too, but there is something that is separating you two. You cannot let that win. You must not give up, ever. Take it as an advice from an old woman who doesn't want to see anybody else suffer like her.", Roza said, and reached to wipe the tears off Erza's face. Erza took one of Roza's hands and squeezed it, offering her a smile through her tears.

"Thank you. I _will_ fight, Roza, I promise you. I will not give up."

The old woman smiled, and pinched Erza's cheek.

"Then, there is only one more thing left for us to do."

…

As Erza finished planting the single seed into Roza's garden, she couldn't help but feel excited and scared at the same time. This was it. This was her declaration of war and she would _win_ , like she had promised to Roza, to herself, to _him_. She pulled herself of her knees and headed to the small table set in the middle of the garden, where cake and tea and an old, smiling lady waited for her.

"Did you do it?", Roza asked as she sipped on her tea, and when she got an affirmative answer, she smiled. "Good. Now, don't make me wait too long. I want to see my garden finished before I pass on."

"Roza!", Erza said, but the old woman just chuckled.

"I am not in my prime anymore, dear. No one knows how much left I have. I do hope it's at least ten more years, but as long as I get to see that red rose bloom, I'll be satisfied.", the old lady said, winking at Erza. "How do you like the cake, honey?"

"It's delicious!", Erza shouted without a moment's thought. "This is by far one of the tastiest strawberry cakes my taste buds have ever had the pleasure of tasting!", she added, and then energetically continued to eat her cake.

They spent the rest of the afternoon talking and enjoying the nice weather (of course, eating too – Erza ate three more slices of cake, and Roza packed her four more, along with some delicious strawberries from her garden). When she felt it was the right time, Erza asked Roza had she seen her love again after they separated, and she answered she did.

"More than twenty years had passed since we've went our separate ways. I was already married and had my two children. But when I saw him, it was as if I went back in time. I knew right away that I never stopped loving him, as my heart was beating wildly. He saw me, as well. At first he was surprised, but then, a moment later, he politely bowed and sent me one of the smiles I loved so much. I realized that he had won against his demons, and that made me very happy, and served as a kind of solace."

Even though it saddened her to do so, Erza eventually had to leave Roza and return to Magnolia, as she had finished her mission long ago and she wasn't supposed to stay this long. She hugged the woman and promised she'd stop by whenever she was in town, and Roza said she'd take her by the promise.

"And remember, don't make me wait too long!", Roza shouted as she waved goodbye to Erza, and the scarlet haired woman just smiled.

A few years later, when a beautiful, vibrant scarlet rose appeared in the now complete rose garden, the old woman that was taking care of the flowers smiled satisfied and happy, knowing that a young couple was finally together and that they would make sure no one would separate them ever again.

* * *

A/N: I wonder what _Roza_ means, hm, hm... ;)


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hello again! :D Here's another story for the Jerza week! This one is the shortest I've written (not including "future" since I haven't finished that one yet), but I still hope you'll like it at least a bit. :)**

Day 2.

Prompt: Sunset

Word count: 580

* * *

People seemed to have started taking the skies for granted. They never stop to admire its beauty anymore, being too busy with their lives down on Earth. But there are a few left, who never fail to look up, and to thank whatever higher forces there are for the opportunity to see the vastness of the sky. Jellal is one of them. As a child, he'd been imprisoned in a tower, from which only a small part of the sky could be seen; then, when he'd grown up a bit, his _mind_ was imprisoned, and he didn't bother looking at it – he had far more important things to do. When his consciousness was finally freed, he was taken away _yet again_ , and all hope of seeing the sky for one last time disappeared.

But then he'd been given one more chance.

And he took it, and continued to stare up at the clouds and the stars from then on. The sky fascinated him - it could change its color depending on the time of the day, the season of the year, the weather. It could be clear blue in one, then pinkish in the other moment. It could be gray, or sometimes even white. It could be black. It could be _scarlet_. And that time of the day, when the sky would bleed _her_ color, that time he loved the most. The sunset. The moment when sun starts disappearing over the horizon and the moon shyly peeks out. The one moment when light and darkness collide, and the one moment they _kiss_ , creating one of the most beautiful sights.

During the moments he felt selfish enough, _free_ enough, he liked to think that his goddess and him were like the light and the darkness creating the sunset. He let himself indulge in thoughts of her velvet skin, her bright eyes, her soft smile… And the color of her hair. The beautiful red he'd never forget – because the sunset would always remind him. Their love, it wasn't right, they both knew it. The bad was never meant to be with the good, and good shouldn't ever let itself be touched by the bad. They were two separate worlds, so close yet so far away, and if one tried to reach out, surely the other would be able to grab on…

 _But_ _it_ _wasn't meant to be._

Still, whenever he'd see the sunset, whenever he'd witness the light fuse with the dark, he'd feel hope. Maybe, _some day_ , they'd be together. Maybe one day, in the near or far off future, he'd be able to stand next to her, he'd be able to hold her hand, he'd be able to smile freely at her with all the love he feels and she'd be able to return the smile.

Maybe then, he could kiss her, _really_ kiss her, under the sunset that was so like them.

But until that day, _if it ever came_ , he'd be satisfied just spending his peaceful moments staring at the scarlet sky that bled her color, bled _their love_ , waiting for the night to come, when the dreams of the one girl he wants and the one girl he can't have would wash over him, and drown him in the painful content and the unnerving wait.

 _(And then, when that moment finally came, they both shared their vows under the red sky, and the world fell into the right place, and they started their new life together,_ inseparable _.)_


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N** : **Guess what _this_ story is about. ;)**

 **Anyway, it's already day three of the week! I hope everyone is having fun, both the artists and the readers/watchers (how do you call someone who looks at art? o.O)! This story is longer than the previous one, hopefully you'll like it. :)**

Day 3.

Prompt: Diamonds

Word count: 1194

* * *

"Are you _sure_ this is good enough?"

"Goodness, Jellal, I am certain I have answered to that question numerous of times already."

"But-"

"No buts! Now get over here so we can continue celebrating!"

Well, he couldn't refuse that, could he?

The two lovers danced to a soft tune one of them (the blue haired man) was humming. The gentle rays of moonlight fell on them, subtly warming their skin and their hearts, and illuminating their already shining faces. Both were simply _glowing_ , radiating happiness, and no one else was there to interrupt their precious moment. Only the moon, the stars, their little safe haven and the two of them, knew of the reason why their hearts were beating erratically, and why neither of them could stop smiling.

Because of the _promise_.

Because of a seemingly unimportant vow that held so much meaning to the two of them. Because they had finally faced their demons, and they had finally won, and they were one step closer to crowning that victory.

Because now, they pledged themselves to the other – they voiced their oaths, and they weren't allowed to break them.

Couldn't break them.

Wouldn't try to even if they could.

The man had long ago stopped humming and was now simply looking at the woman before him, holding more adoration than she ever saw before. And that was great – his eyes looked far more beautiful when not clouded by guilt, remorse, regret. (Or hate.) The scarlet haired beauty returned the gaze with her own feelings of love, that burned just as brightly as his (in fact, it seemed as if their eyes were competing in whose were more ablaze with passion and adoration – and both refused to back down). He then took her hand, brought it to his lips and kissed her knuckles, before gently passing over a thin, silverish metal.

A ring.

She lowered her gaze to where his was, and the smile on her face became softer, as she fondly recalled the clumsy way her lover asked her to become his, and let him become hers (as if it wasn't so already). The ring was very plain – there was nothing engraved onto it, nor did it hold some sort of precious stone. It was an ordinary, round piece of metal. And Jellal felt very bad because of it.

"I still think this isn't enough.", he said, critically inspecting it. "You deserve so much more than a make-shift ring we found somewhere, Erza."

"I think it is more than enough.", she answered, lifting her hands to his face and cupping his cheeks, effectively bringing his eyes back to hers. "Jellal, you and me, us _together_ , it is enough for me. To know that we have promised we would be together forever… I can't ask for more. _You_ _and your love_ , they are the only things I need from you. Nothing else."

Jellal smiled softly, then kissed her lips with every ounce of love he felt, leaving Erza breathless. He brought her closer to him, and she nuzzled her head in the crook of his neck, tickling his skin with the threads of her scarlet hair, while he kissed her head. Both inhaled the scent of the other at the same time, and Jellal chuckled while Erza giggled because of it. They spent some more moments in the silence, before he decided to break it once again.

"But there _should_ _be_ a diamond on that ring, after all."

Erza sighed, tired of his stubbornness, and pulled away from him a bit so she could properly look at him.

"Jellal", she started, talking slowly as if to a little child, "I _do not_ need a diamond. I am very well aware that having such an expensive stone on your hand is many girls' dream, but I am _not_ one of those girls. I do think that diamonds are nice, yes, I am a woman after all, but that does not mean I _yearn_ for one, or am in need of it. Diamonds are just an object. A very clear, shiny and pretty object, but an object. _And I don't need them._ ", she finished, repeating herself, in order to make sure her message finally got to him. Jellal blinked a few times, as if to accept the fact that he had just been treated as a five year old by his… _promised one_ , then started laughing and Erza laughed as well.

"All right, all right, I understand. But one day, when all of this is official, I will take you to a jewelry store, and you _will_ pick a nice ring. Is that okay with you?", he asked, with hopeful eyes, and she could do little but roll her eyes and agree to his request.

" _Fine_. But if it gets in the way of my armor, I am taking it off. Are we clear?"

"We're clear.", he replied, and then smirked, prompting Erza to raise her eyebrow. "Now, about that _celebration_ …", he said, and Erza smirked as well, then let out a small squeal (which she would later deny ever escaped her lips) as he picked her up and carried her inside of their cottage.

…

" _E-Erza."_

" _What is it, Jellal? Is there something wrong?"_

" _No, not at all but… I need to ask you something."_

" _Then ask."_

"… _Okay, here I go. But well, before I do, please don't interrupt me."_

" _I am_ listening _, Jellal. Spit it out already."_

" _Yes, well, okay. Uh. Yes. Erza, I know that I've done many bad things in the past – things that can't be erased, can't be undone, nor can they be forgotten. I regret many things, and I wish they were different. But never once did I, or will I, regret meeting you. You brought light into my bleak and somber world, and you taught my heart how to beat again. I owe you so much, but I can give you only so little. I can give you only my love – my undying, eternal love, and my heart that is already yours. I can give you only my lying lips, and the one promise I would never lie about. I can give you, only my vow, that I will never love another, and that the only one for me is you. I can_ , _and_ will _, and_ am _promising you myself, for now and the eternity, for however long you want me. And I might be selfish, and you may refuse, but can I ask of you, just one thing?"_

" _W-what?"_

"… _Can you, promise yourself to me, as well?"_

…

Months later, as their unofficial vow became official, Jellal took Erza to a jewelry store as he said he would, and let her choose _any_ of the rings in display. She, after not even five minutes, picked one out and didn't want to look at any other. She exited the store with a thin, silver ring which held an elegant little cerulean stone. She kept her old ring as well, though. It held many sweet memories and she refused to let it go, no matter how plain and ordinary it was.

And she didn't need any diamonds after all.

* * *

P.S.: Could you please leave a review? Just a word or two, to let me know whether you liked the story or not. It would mean a lot, and I hope I'm not being too greedy... :)


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hi again, and thanks for reading my stories! :D (Special thanks to those who reviewed, you made my day!)**

 **This story is an AU, and I had to go around asking for the meanings of cardinal (English isn't my native language) to be sure what to write. I decided to go with the meaning _of the greatest importance;_ _fundamental_ , but I also slightly incorporated other meanings... ;)**

 **I hope you'll like it - because I have to admit I quite like how this one came out. :)**

Day 4.

Prompt: Cardinal

Word count: 2316

* * *

Jellal Fernandez was usually a very intelligent man. He was actually very proud at his ability to quickly solve any problem thrown his way, without so much as breaking a sweat. So, when he realized he was starting to get a crush on his longtime best friend, Erza Scarlet, an amazing woman that caught the attention of many, he calmly analyzed the situation and his _problem_ , before concluding that it would be for the best if he let it be, thinking that she'd never hold feelings like that for him, and that he'd be able to get over his _little_ crush soon.

But you see, Jellal Fernandez made some _cardinal_ mistakes.

And it would turn out, he wasn't so successful at solving his problems after all.

…

His crush started out innocently enough.

He began to notice small details about her, like how her laugh would start out as deep then raise higher, or how one corner of her mouth would curve downwards when she'd be telling a lie (which wasn't often), or how her eyebrow would slightly raise and she'd be subtly smirking when she'd catch someone _else_ lying. At first, he didn't give these observations of his much thought, believing that it was quite normal for someone who's known a person for many years to notice small things about them, which were usually unnoticeable. Of course, he was correct – people who've known each other longer did tend to pay attention to small things others didn't bother with. However, soon he started having some thoughts and feelings which were not the kind you should have towards a friend.

He began noticing her beauty.

 _Really_ noticing it, because the fact that Erza Scarlet was a beautiful and attractive woman was well-known, but Jellal was starting to realize just _how beautiful_ she was. She had soft, creamy skin that always felt smooth to the touch, a fact he overlooked for a long period. Her eyes were a warm, chocolate brown that would shine whenever she'd see something she liked. Her smile was like that of an angel's, sending warmth to the very core of your soul (though her glare could send icy chills even deeper, it seemed). And her _hair_. Her _beautiful, marvelous_ scarlet hair. Jellal had always liked her shade, but only now was he starting to realize just how magnificent it was. It wasn't an ordinary red. It was a specific shade that burned itself deeply into his mind. It wasn't crimson, or vermillion, or cardinal, but _scarlet_ , the color of the sunset (maybe even prettier). And it always smelled nice, too, like strawberries – she loved that fruit a lot.

So after that realization hit him in the face, Jellal admitted to himself that he was starting to see Erza as a _woman_ , not only as his friend. But he kept convincing himself that that was it – just a sudden revelation, nothing more. He'd lose his last argument against the fact that he liked her when a certain feeling, which he didn't know of until then, would worm its way into his heart.

It all began on a sunny, warm day when the two of them decided to go out for a walk. The walk was pretty pleasant, as was any moment spent with Erza, but after a while the two of them got tired and thirsty, so Jellal, like the gentleman he was, offered to go and by them drinks. Erza gratefully took up his offer, and he left for the closest vending machine to buy some refreshments. Not a minute after he left, a certain group of guys approached her and started hitting on her. And, well, while that wasn't uncommon (Erza _was_ a very stunning woman), this time, it was different. This time, Jellal saw _red_ (and no, it wasn't just the little cardinal bird chirping somewhere on the trees – what was she doing there, anyway?).

And so, the usually very quick-witted man had finally, after quite a while, realized he was crushing on his best friend. Which was, in his own humble, but very often correct opinion, _bad_.

When he'd returned home later that day, he calmed his nerves down and decided to approach his situation objectively – he was starting to like his childhood friend, a girl that meant very much to him. She was smart, pretty, athletic, kind-hearted and very friendly. People who knew her respected her a lot, and often went to her when they needed an advice. Because of her beauty, there were many suitors who've tried to capture her fancy, but only a very small number managed to do so, and even then, there were few who succeeded to keep her attention for a long while. While Erza wasn't picky per say, there _were_ some requirements men had to fulfill in order to be with her. Jellal and her other friends agreed with her on them – after all, she deserved the best.

Now, Erza had complete trust in him. Jellal wouldn't mean to sound haughty, but the woman did believe in him, and he worked hard to earn her trust. He was always there for her whenever she needed him. He'd like to think they were very close. But that was one of the reasons why his sudden change of feelings was unwelcome. Erza had a big group of friends, both male and female, but there was a small group she considered her _family_ (and Jellal was close enough to be considered a part of it, wasn't he?). And did family members harbor crushes on each other? No, they didn't! Who knows what Erza, what all of their friends would think if he suddenly came up to her and told her he was _having a crush_ on her! Just imagine the disapproving looks, the disappointed shakes of their heads… And the awkwardness that would follow his confession would be unbearable! So, after spending quite some time on waging the pros and cons of his new found feelings, he decided he had more to lose than to gain, and that it would be for the best to just forget about them, as soon as possible, which Jellal thought was no problem.

It would later turn out to be his mistake number one.

…

As it turned out, it wasn't just a _simple_ crush that could be forgotten so easily. Quite the opposite, Jellal found himself _falling_ for his friend, instead of putting his feelings aside. He tried to fight them, but in his defense, Erza was the type of woman who wouldn't let your mind forget about her easily. Each time, he found more and more things to like about her, and each time, it became harder to keep his emotions under a leash. He would oftentimes scold himself for letting his mind wander and thinking about Erza, but to no avail – his brain plainly refused to listen.

It actually went into a full blown riot, and about two months after he realized he had a crush, his mind started forming certain… _pictures_ in his head, which made him feel like the lowest scum in the world. He tried to create a sort of a defense mechanism – whenever his mind would start wondering towards the forbidden areas, he'd think about every disgusting thing he could remember at the moment, and that actually helped a bit. Naturally, it was of no help at all when Erza would hug him, or grab his hand or something along those lines, which he should have gotten used to, considering their friendship had a lot of skinship involved, but since his feelings changed and they weren't just pure friendship anymore (they were _far_ from pure), he was blushing more and more often around her. And others started to notice that.

That would be the mistake number two.

…

See, when it became plain clear to him that he wouldn't be getting over Erza any time soon, Jellal tried to convince himself that it was still okay, and that he would just have to act normal around her and not let her know of the mess inside his heart and brain. He was fairly certain he would manage to fool her and everybody else, and maybe he'd eventually manage to fool himself, too. Of course, he forgot the fact that he was a horrible liar and that he didn't know how to act around those close to him – if they were some strangers or people he barely knew and didn't really care about, Jellal would easily be able to play any role he wanted, but those close to him always saw right through him. So, his pathetic little tries of acting like everything was the same as always didn't fool anyone, especially not Erza. She began to notice that he was acting strange and tried to confront him about it several times, but Jellal always evaded talking about it by coming up with some ridiculous excuses no one bought, but was unable to call him out on.

Enough was enough, though, so soon Jellal was at the wrong end of Erza Scarlet's infamous glare, and was being questioned about his ridiculous behavior. At first, Jellal didn't give in, insisting he was the same as always and nothing changed. Erza wasn't giving up either, and she kept pressing him for answers, hurt because he was starting to avoid her. Even though his act was weak, Jellal didn't cave in, and Erza didn't cave in, and so they had their first major fight.

Those who knew them noticed Jellal's strange behavior, but they believed whatever it was, the two of them would solve it soon – they were inseparable. That's why, the fight that broke out and their sudden separation astonished everyone. They all tried to make them reconcile, but were met with stubborn responses on both sides. Neither wanted to apologize, because they both believed they were doing the right thing. The fight took its tool, though, as both of them missed the other a lot. After days and days of thinking, Jellal decided it was time for him to tell her the truth. The one reason he refrained from telling her before was because he didn't want their friendship to be ruined, but if things continued this way, that was exactly what was going to happen.

He visited her one day, and she was clearly still angry at him, but allowed him to come in. They spent the first few minutes in awkward atmosphere, with her acting like the good host and asking him if he wanted to have anything to drink. He told her he wouldn't mind some coffee, and she let the water boil slowly as they returned to saying nothing again. Eventually, he broke the silence, apologizing. Erza slightly arched her brow, surprised a bit, but let him continue. Jellal began fidgeting nervously, and took several deep breathes so he'd be able to calm down.

Then he told her everything.

He told her how some months ago he started to notice that he liked her, and how he realized that was a bad thing, and how he tried his best to push those feelings away or at least act like everything was normal, but he failed and that's why they got into this fight. He told her that her friendship meant the world to him, and that he didn't want to lose it, which was way he did everything he did, and why he came to apologize. When he finished talking, the room was filled with silence again, as Erza seemingly didn't know what to say or how to feel. The kettle started whistling, indicating that the water was boiled, and Erza clumsily stood up and said that she had to turn off the stove, while stuttering. Jellal lowered his head, knowing he had messed everything up, and silently said that maybe he should leave. Erza heard him, though, and suddenly yelled for him not to go, surprising Jellal (and probably herself as well). She left the kettle on the turned off stove and marched up to him, then kneeled in front of him so they'd be closer to eye level. She grabbed his face, brought it closer to hers and stared him right in the eyes before she crushed her lips on his and kissed him.

To say he was surprised would be an understatement, as Jellal seemed to process very _slowly_ what was going on. He never even returned the kiss, as Erza pulled away before he came to his senses. What she said next quickly brought him back to reality. She said she liked him too. Jellal sat there, stunned, and when his usually quick brain finally processed everything, he threw himself at her, hugged the girl tightly and kissed her. Erza hugged him back, and he descended from the couch and kneeled next to her, and they spent the next few moments hugging and kissing. When they finally pulled away, they were both smiling and Jellal noticed the sparkle in her eyes she had only when she was next to something she liked, and mentally kicked himself when he remembered all the times she had the same sparkle when he was with her. He kissed her again, and she clumsily returned the kiss, as she was too busy grinning out of happiness.

…

Out of all mistakes he made, Jellal's biggest mistake was not taking the most cardinal factor into consideration – Erza herself. He tried to reconstruct her reactions all by himself, and that was impossible – no matter how much we know someone, we can never guess their every move and their emotions. So, instead of _solving_ his problem, he was making it _worse_ , and it took him several months and a heated confrontation to finally make everything right.

And well, even the most intelligent of men make mistakes sometimes. Jellal will make sure to learn from his.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Not counting this one, it's only two more days till the end of Jerza week... Ah, what a shame... But anyway, here's another story! This is the longest one I've written, though I have to say I think it could have been better. But anyway, here it is, and you could think of it as being sort of a... sequel? to diamonds.**

 **Hopefully you'll like it. :)**

Day 5.

Prompt: Bells

Word count: 3371

* * *

"Oh God, oh God, oh God oh God oh _God_ …"

"Calm _down_ man, damn it."

"Y' sound like a broken record."

"He doesn't have a mute button, I looked for it."

Today was a very special day. Today, after _years_ of love that couldn't be, Jellal and Erza would finally exchange the vows that will intertwine their lives forever. This day wasn't waited for only by them, but by all of their friends who wanted happiness to finally reach the couple, as well. So many tears were shed and many congratulations said when they announced they were together, but when they told everyone that they were getting _married_ … It was a celebration like no other. Their friends partied and drank several days straight, and the fiancées had trouble keeping them all in check – but the happiness they felt couldn't be destroyed by anything.

And now, the day had finally come, and both the bride and the groom were _very_ excited and scared, but the broom gave his groomsmen a _lot_ more trouble.

"What if something bad happens?!", Jellal asked, nervously fingering his tie.

"Nothing bad's gonna happen man, relax.", Gray said, already stripped of his jacket and shirt, lazily sitting in a chair.

"Yeah, you might wanna look at yourself, Ice Idiot.", Natsu teased, munching on a chicken leg he stole from the buffet. Erik looked at him, terrified, then hit the man on the head.

"Are you crazy, idiot Salamander?! If Titania sees you with that leg she's gonna kill you! We're not supposed to eat anything before the ceremony! And will someone wake Macbeth, for crying out loud!", he started yelling, causing the groom to start fidgeting even more, while the sleeping man didn't even stir.

"Will you all quit it? The guy's getting all fidgety and sweaty over there.", Laxus commented, a bit amused, but also unnerved by the behavior of the man in the small room.

"They're finally getting married! Ah, love, that is!", Richard merrily sang, while Sawyer just mumbled something incoherent, and Gajeel played with the buttons on his sleeves – they seemed tasty.

The groom started walking around the room that was small plus crowded, so he kept bumping into the other guys, raising the levels of stress in the room. They all eyed him evilly (except for Macbeth who was still asleep), but Jellal wasn't aware of their looks. Instead, he played thousands of scenarios that depicted what could go wrong in his head, and he started panicking – a lot.

"Oh _God_ , what if she doesn't want this? What if Erza actually _doesn't_ want to get married to me and is only doing this out of _pity_?!", he asked, and many of the guys rolled their eyes at this.

"I'm _sure_ Erza wouldn't get married to someone only out of pity.", Gray said while playing with his tie – he started stripping again but caught himself just in time to avoid that.

"Yeah, she loves you, no doubt. Ask Happy.", the pink haired man said, then looked around, confused. "Wait a minute, where _is_ Happy?"

"The blue cat went with Lily to check on the guests. Though I think he only wants to see the white cat.", Gajeel answered, looking pretty bored.

"But what if she changed her mind?!", Jellal continued, not really paying attention to the conversation the Dragon Slayers were having, and now several guys left the room, not having the will to deal with a panicked man that was soon to get married. "What if she gets cold feet? What if _I_ get cold feet?", he rambled, and now there was no stopping him, as he turned into a machine that just kept blurting out all of the things that could go wrong, from the simplest stuff like "Her dress might get stuck somewhere so she won't be able to move!" to the _serious_ things like "I could break a leg! Or the priest could be late! Or someone could destroy the cake- _oh my God,_ someone will destroy the cake and then Erza will start crying and refuse to go out and we won't get married – _do not_ let Natsu, Gray, Erik or Gajeel near the cake! You know what? No one goes near the cake until the ceremony is over!"

The few man that stayed behind to deal with Jellal (that included sleeping Macbeth who probably had no idea what was going on, non-helping Richard that kept talking about love, annoyed Gray that was also offended, and a tired Laxus that just wanted everything to _finish already_ ) tried everything to calm the man down before the ceremony started, or Erza saw him all freaked out – that would _not_ end well, that's for sure.

"Look, Jellal", Laxus tried to talk some sense into him, "everything will be _fine_. You're marrying _Titania_ , for God's sake, do you really think anyone would dare destroy _her_ wedding?"

"Laxus's right.", Gray agreed, letting go of his anger for now (though he was still sulking). "Have you ever seen an _angry_ Erza? Like, a _really angry_ one?", he asked, and when Jellal slowly nodded after a few seconds (paling a bit along the way), Gray nodded as well, satisfied, then looked him straight into the eyes. "Then you _know_ you don't mess with Erza, or the things or people she loves?" After Jellal nodded once again, Gray came closer to the man, patted him on the shoulder then proceeded to exit the room. "See? It's gonna be okay, no worries. I'm going to check on the Flame Brain and Iron Brain, to make sure they didn't cause a ruckus already."

"And what about Juvia? You're gonna check on her as well?", Laxus teased, and Gray blushed and mumbled something under his breath, then got out.

"Man, you dorks are too funny to tease!", Laxus said while laughing, then returned to solving the problem. "About the cake, Jellal, there's no problem 'cause Erza already hired _bodyguards_ for it.", he said, rolling his eyes at his guild mate's ridiculousness (but of course, he said nothing – he didn't want to receive the wrath of the Queen of Fairies). "Also, the priest's already here, he's just arguing with the old man about something… And if you _do_ break a leg or something (which I highly doubt), we have Wendy who'd definitely heal you."

"Besides, nothing bad will happen to you because today you're celebrating _love_!", Richard chirped, and that somehow woke Macbeth up, and he abruptly stood up, blinking and trying to figure out where he was.

"Is it over? Did they get married already? I missed the ceremony, didn't I?", he asked, slightly alarmed (afraid of Erza's punishment), but when he finally realized he was still in the "waiting" room, he sighed from relief, then tried to lay down again. "Just five more minutes…", he mumbled.

"Wake up you Sleeping Beauty, the ceremony _starts_ in five minutes!", Laxus yelled, and then Jellal suddenly froze, not moving at all.

"Five minutes. I'm getting married in five minutes.", he whispered, and the other three man in the room turned to look at him. He wasn't sweating or fidgeting anymore, he didn't look freaked out, but he seemed to have a bit of a problem accepting what was happening. "I'm getting married… To Erza.", Jellal said, and then a small smile broke out on his face, a smile that became wider and wider, until it became a full fledged grin, and the groom was simply _radiating_. "I'm marrying Erza!", he excitedly shouted, and Laxus, Macbeth and Richard all smiled, or started chuckling. They all came to him and patted him on the back (or hugged him, in Richard's case), saying congratulations, and the blue haired man quietly thanked everyone. Moments later, Natsu, Gray and the others came, and Natsu simply said (while sporting his trademark grin):

"It's time."

And the groom, followed by his groomsmen, slowly walked towards the fulfillment of his dreams.

…

The inside of the church was decorated beautifully – simple, but elegant – and the color that dominated was, of course, scarlet. The vows would be exchanged at sunset, by Jellal's request, and the reception would be held in the guild hall, where Jellal and Erza would cut the cake and share their first dance (and then the _party_ would be continued – in Fairy Tail style). Many people were gathered, all of which were friends of the bride and the groom, and the excitement could be felt everywhere. Jellal was already standing at the altar, taking deep breaths and trying to calm down, and the priest smiled at him, having witnessed similar scenes many times before.

The band started playing, and suddenly, everyone shut up. The first pair of (many) groomsmen and bridesmaids were Natsu and Lucy, followed shortly by Gray and (a big bellied, weeping) Juvia and Gajeel and Levy (who were hushedly bickering). Behind them were Macbeth and Sorano (one was half asleep, the other seemed quite bored), and Richard and Lisanna. Sawyer seemed to be reluctantly dragged by an over-excited Cana (who probably had something to drink already, though she wasn't supposed to), and behind them, the Matron of honor, Mira, was walking alongside Laxus. The last ones to appear were the best man, Erik, and Meredy, who simply couldn't hold back her tears. After they all assumed their places (barely, considering there was so many of them – but Erza and Jellal just couldn't pick), everyone stood up, expecting the star girl of the event.

Erza was dressed in a simple, sleeveless white gown that fell perfectly down her body, decently accentuating her curves, and she wore elegant white shoes, which were peeking out underneath the velvet dress. She had delicate, satin gloves and a beautiful sliver necklace, which held a small tear-shaped sapphire stone. She wore little to no make-up at all, just enough to emphasize her natural beauty. Finally, her scarlet hair was let loose, curled just a bit, and a silky veil hung over it. Everyone's breaths were caught in their throats at the sight of the beautiful bride, but Jellal was the most stunned one of all. As she elegantly walked down the aisle, led by Master Makarov who was barely containing his tears, his eyes followed her every move, and then they locked with hers, and the two of them kept each other's gaze.

When Erza's feet finally settled in front of the altar, Makarov let go of her hand, then turned to face Jellal, and with a stern voice said, "Take care of her." Jellal, never moving his eyes away from Erza, softly whispered "I will", and Makarov just smiled, leaving to sit at his spot in the front row.

"You're…", Jellal tried to say, but found himself unable to describe the woman in front of him. "Erza, you look… I can't even explain it.", he chuckled, and Erza chuckled as well, taking his hands into hers. He entwined their fingers, and brought her hands to his lips, kissing the dressed limbs, and Erza started crying as she laughed. Jellal proceeded to kiss her forehead and her nose, then kissed her tear-stained cheeks, and leaned his forehead on hers, gently brushing their noses against each other, until in the end, he, too, started crying. At that moment, anyone who _hadn't_ been crying, gave in and began to cry. Even Laxus, Sorano and Erik, who tried to pretend they were above it all, let a few tears fall down their faces, while everybody else was fully sobbing (though some men – like Gray, Natsu, Sawyer and Gajeel – refused to admit it, even though rivers were flowing out of their eyes). The priest cleared his throat (to get everyone's attention and also to get a hold of himself), and as soon as the sobbing and weeping was reduced to minimum – because there was no way it was stopping any time soon – he started the ceremony.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today…"

…

After the act of marrying was over, the overjoyed newlyweds and their merry group of friends went to the reception, where Erza and Jellal cut the strawberry cake and fed each other the first two bites (and later everyone else got a piece and that day would be remembered as one of the rare days Erza shared her cake), and had their first dance as a married couple (the ones in charge of the music made sure to play a _very_ slow piece, in order not to evoke the Dancing Demon). Currently, the guests were either chatting among themselves or congratulating the happy couple, praising both the ceremony and the reception. The groomsmen and the bridesmaids mingled around, some drinking, some eating, some dancing, or in this case, talking.

"Ah, the ceremony was _so beautiful_ … I couldn't help but cry…", the Matron of honor, Mira said, wiping the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief. Lucy, Lisanna and Levy all nodded, wiping their own tears as well.

"I'm so happy for them!", Levy exclaimed while sniffing. "They deserved this happiness and I hope many more happy things come to them in the future!"

"I know what you mean… They are such a beautiful, heartwarming couple and they've been through enough!", Lucy said, then crossed her arms on her chest. "In fact, I think they've been through _too much_!"

"Exactly!", Lisanna agreed, and the rest of the girls fiercely nodded. "You know what, we should make sure to keep them happy from now on! And not only them, we should make sure that _everyone_ is happy! Don't you agree with me?", she asked, and after she got another heated confirmation, she smiled, satisfied.

"And we should start from Natsu and Lucy!", Levy suddenly said, startling Lucy.

"Why- why- why us?", she asked, afraid of her friends' schemes – she'd rather be on the scheming side herself, than being the one that suffered the consequences of it.

"Oh, come on, Lucy, of course we're starting with you!", Lisanna said. "You're married and you're expecting a baby!", she patted Lucy on the shoulder, and the blonde turned bright red and unconsciously reached for her stomach, where a small bump could be noticed.

"Y-yeah, well, Gray and Juvia are having a baby, too!", she shouted, pointing at the blue haired woman who was excitedly talking about something with Meredy, while holding her already swelled stomach (she was further along than Lucy). "And they're not even married yet!"

"Yes, but we have no worries about them, for now.", Mirajane replied, while smiling in her sweet, but a bit devilish, way.

"What do you mean?", Lucy asked, honestly confused.

"Listen.", Levy said, and the four of them stopped talking and walked closer to Juvia and Meredy. Lucy had to strain her ears, but was able to hear everything in the end.

"… and Juvia will wear a pale blue wedding dress, and Gray-sama will wear a black suit and he'd look all handsome, and our little baby boy will watch from the front row and…", the blue haired woman rambled, and her pink haired companion amusedly nodded her head.

"… We believe that Juvia will take care of everything herself.", Lisanna said, and Levy and Mira chuckled, while Lucy sweated.

"But… But… Ugh.", she tried, but eventually gave up, having no strength to fight her friends.

"Anyway, even though Jellal and Erza are now married, we have no plans of leaving them alone, not yet.", Mira said, and the girls agreed. "We won't rest still until there are several red haired or blue haired babies clutching onto them!"

"That's right!", Levy and Lisanna yelled, and Lucy pretended to yell, too, but made sure to warn her teammate about the impending danger the Strauss sisters plus Levy represented.

"But Gosh, wasn't Erza just _breathtaking_? I mean, _I'd_ have no objections to marrying her…", Lisanna joked, and now everyone had to nod their heads and agree.

"And she was so cute while she was panicking!", Mira exclaimed, and Lisanna laughed, while Levy and Lucy chuckled a bit, as well. "You know, Laxus told me that Jellal was driving the guys _insane_ while he was getting ready. Ah, they're too adorable!", she said, and the girls turned to look at the two, who were now hugging and whispering something in each other's ear, laughing and smiling, looking at one another with all the love they felt. The sight melted the girls' hearts, and they just softly smiled at the couple.

"They are.", Lucy whispered, and then the girls went off to look for their own lovers.

…

"I still can't believe this really happened."

Away from the chaos in the hall, Erza and Jellal stood hugging, looking at the moon and the stars, enjoying the refreshing breeze. It was well into the night, but their friends still had the same amount of energy they had in the beginning. The two of them, though, were _a bit_ tired and just wanted to enjoy some time alone, so they snuck out of _their_ reception and were currently just enjoying each other's presence and the fact that they were _bound for life_.

"What?", Erza asked, turning around so she could face her _husband_. "You can't believe the Slayers didn't cause commotion? Certainly, they _can_ be a bit overbearing at times but-"

"No, not that.", the man answered, looking straight into Erza's eyes. " _This_. You know what I mean – you and I, I can't believe we're finally-"

"Stop being so negative, Jellal. Or do you want to spend our wedding night sleeping on the couch?", Erza said, half-joking, but there was a part of her that was truly ready to kick him out of the bed if he continued talking so pessimistically.

"No, no, I'm sorry, _Miss Scarlet_.", Jellal teased, then briefly kissed her, mischievously smiling as he pulled away.

"That's _Mrs._ Scarlet _Fernandez_ , sir.", Erza corrected him with a serious face which later turned into a smiling one, full of joy and happiness.

"Oh, so the lady is married?", Jellal asked, shaking his head and faking disappointment. "Such a shame, I thought we could get to _know_ each other better."

"Unfortunately, Mister, I am a _happily_ married woman who loves her husband _very much_ , and would never even _think_ of anyone else. So you should find someone else, because if my husband sees you flirting with me like this, you will be in big trouble.", the scarlet haired woman whispered, tip-toeing so she could reach the blue haired man's ear.

"Is that so?", he breathed out, tightening his hold on Erza's waist, bringing her as close to his body as possible. "Is he a dangerous man?", he asked, eyeing her lips, then lowering just enough so his lips would ghost over them.

"Far from it.", she replied, nuzzling his nose. "But if you, try anything funny with me…", she started to lose her breath, as it got caught in her throat and Jellal smirked in victory, "… he'll certainly not forgive you.", Erza said, and then her lips crushed against Jellal's, and they kissed like they had all the time in the world, but at the same time, they kissed like there was no tomorrow, and neither wanted to pull away, but the lack of air made them do it. When they let go of each other's lips, they locked their eyes and started laughing, and their laughter filled the night like the sound of the bells chiming.

"It's good to know that you're so faithful, though I had no doubts about it.", Jellal said, and took a lock of Erza's hair between his fingers, brought it to his lips, gently kissed it and then softly whispered, "You know you're the only one for me, as well."

"I know", his wife replied, smiling at him with adoration, looking at him with eyes full of affection. "I love you, Jellal. Now and forever, no matter what."

"And I love you, Erza. In this life and all the others, through whatever hardships we may face."

And tomorrow, when they wake in the other's embrace, their hearts will dance to the music of love, and they'll wish each other a good morning, happy that it would be only one of many more sweet mornings to come.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: So, this story is one of the shorter ones... I started writing it one way, then it took a different turn and, well, this came out. As always, though, I hope you'll like the story. :D ;)**

Day 6.

Prompt: Constellations

Word count: 871

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The mission they had this time wasn't hard, but it was very tiring, so it was no surprise when the team split up in order for everyone to relax by themselves. Gray decided to take a nap right away, Natsu and Happy concluded that the best way to relax was by stuffing food into their mouths, and Lucy, Wendy and Carla went to the nearby hot spring. Erza chose to take a nice walk – the night was calm and quiet, and the air was pleasantly warm. As she walked around the small resort, she admired the beauty of the nature – the leafy, green trees, the pretty and colorful flowers, the clean and peaceful river… Everything around her brought her a sense of peace, and Erza couldn't help but smile at the serenity she felt.

Then, she lifted her head, and took in the dark night sky filled by countless of stars, and the moon that silently watched over her. The sky was cloudless, so the stars shone brightly, and Erza could marvel at their beauty. She tried to name the constellations they formed, but chuckled when she realized she couldn't name more than two. And then she remembered _him_. Surely, he would be able to name many of the constellations she didn't even know existed – his magic was tightly connected to those _heavenly bodies_ , after all. Erza smiled widely as she imagined the picture of a blue haired man talking excitingly about the stars and their formations, with shining eyes and a big grin on his face, looking almost as if he was a child again.

Then her smile faltered. She missed him. She couldn't help it – even if she tried to forget him, the nighttime would come and she'd be reminded of everything about him, and her heart would squeeze painfully. She was aware that staying away was for her own good, that he was just trying to secure her happiness by disappearing from her life, but she didn't want that. She had her friends, her family, but without him, she always felt incomplete, as if a piece of her was missing. They were connected from the beginning, and even though so many bad things happened, their bond remained unbroken. Even though he _himself_ tried to break it, he failed, and Erza felt that the bond just grew stronger. Even though the fate seemed to want to tear them apart, it also intertwined their lives so much, that it was impossible to untangle them now.

" _You know, Erza, the stars that form the constellations are actually very far away from each other."_ , Erza remembered him saying during one of the sleepless nights at the tower that forever changed their lives.

" _Really? But, they look like they're really close!", the little red haired girl said, surprised by what she had just learned._

" _I know. But they are actually billions and trillions of miles away from each other, and it only seems like they are close. But when you think about it, isn't it cool?", the little boy said, and the girl scrunched her face in confusion, and the boy slightly chuckled before explaining himself. "Think like this: those stars, they form a whole, don't they?", the boy asked and Erza slowly nodded her head in understanding. "So, even though they are far away, they are still connected, right?", he continued, and Erza nodded more energetically now, as she realized what the boy was talking about._

" _Even though they aren't physically close, their hearts are close, right?", she asked excited, and the boy had to restrain from telling her that stars didn't have hearts – after all, what she said was the point of what he was trying to tell her. So instead, he just grinned at her, gently ruffling her scarlet hair._

" _That's right. And that's what you should remember. Even if in the future we get separated, we're still together in our hearts. You, me, Millia, Sho, Wally, Simon, uncle Rob… We will always be connected, like the stars in the constellations. And when we make new friends, we'll connect to them as well, and we'll form even more beautiful shapes!"_

" _B-but we'll never forget our first constellation, right?", Erza asked, not wanting to forget her friends that made the days inside that prison more tolerable._

"Never.", Erza whispered the single word Jellal offered her as an answer, letting a single tear roll down her cheek. She wiped it away, smiling as she recalled Jellal's own gentle smile, and looked up into the sky again.

"No matter how far away we are, we're still connected, aren't we, Jellal.", she said, closing her eyes and imagining the blue haired man next to her, smiling softly at her. She felt a light breeze wash over her and opened her eyes, startled by the way she could almost _feel_ him next to her. She silently shook her head, still sporting the small, gentle smile on her face, and decided to return to her room.

And somewhere in the distance, a man with a tattoo on his face smiled as well, recalling that one sleepless night at the tower, when he'd felt the hope for the first time looking at the young girl's starry eyes.

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P.S.: Reviews are _much_ appreciated.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: It's the last day of Jerza week! I can't believe it's already over... Thanks to everyone who followed/favored/reviewed my stories! :)**

 **This prompt is about _future_ , so I wrote about their future - meaning there will be OCs in the form of their children ;).**

 **I hope you'll like the story, and till the next time!**

Day 7. (The last day)

Prompt: Future

Word count: 1450

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"Jellal Fernandez, how many times must we go through this?"

"But Erza, do you _really_ have to take that mission? Can't somebody else go?"

Sighing, the woman shook her head, letting her short scarlet tresses flutter. Jellal was simply _so_ stubborn, she was getting to the end of her wits. This topic wasn't being discussed for the first time – but it sure felt like it. Honestly, Erza hoped that after the last _two_ times, he'd let it go, but apparently, that wouldn't be the case.

"I am _pregnant_ , not _handicapped_ , Jellal! I can very well take care of myself _and_ our child! Haven't I proven that already?", she said, referring to the two previous pregnancies during which she also kept going on missions (to the dismay of her husband, of course).

"But Erza, you're in your fifth month! _Please_ reconsider going, you know I always get worried when you do.", Jellal said, wrapping his arms around the enlarged frame of his wife. "Isn't it enough that I go on jobs? I earn enough, and we already have plenty of money saved."

"It isn't about the money, Jellal.", the scarlet haired woman said softly, forgetting about her irritation. "We have talked about this before – I don't want to stop going on missions just because I'm carrying a child. I never pick the tough and dangerous ones, anyway, and I _do_ stop once I've reached a certain stadium of pregnancy. I would _never_ let anything happen to our baby, Jellal.", she looked him in the eyes and said seriously, and the blue haired man could only sigh.

"I know, Erza, I _know_ , but I just-"

"Mom, dad? What are you doing?"

The pair turned around to see their eldest child, a ten year old girl, enter the kitchen. She was rubbing her eyes, still a bit sleepy, but awake nonetheless. She was an early bird and a light sleeper, just like her parents. Those traits ran through the entire family, it appeared.

"Good morning, honey. Your father and I were just discussing some matters, that is all.", Erza said as she walked over to her daughter and hugged her, kissing her blue strands of hair lovingly. The little girl returned the hug and kissed her mother's cheek, then her belly.

"Good morning, Emily. Did you sleep well?", Jellal asked, smiling gently at his daughter. Emily ran to her dad and hugged him tightly, prompting a chuckle from her parents. There was no doubt that Emily loved her mother very much – she was her number one girl in the world (as the little one didn't have any sisters) – but she simply _adored_ her father. She was a daddy's girl, through and through.

"I slept well enough.", she answered, still clinging to her father. "I had a visitor in the middle of the night, though.", she said, and finally let go of her father.

"Did your brother sneak into your room again?", Erza asked, and Emily nodded. "Honestly, this is the third time this week. I wonder what's wrong.", she said, worried about her little boy.

"He must have had another nightmare. Did Zael tell you anything, Mil?, Jellal asked. The six year old had started having some sort of nightmares recently, but everyone assured his parents that it was nothing to worry about, that it was just a faze that would pass soon. It didn't put either at ease, though.

"Not really, I just woke up and saw a scarlet bush and immediately knew it was him. I got used to it, so I didn't ask anything. Was I supposed to?", the little girl asked, feeling guilty about not paying enough attention. She loved her brother very much and she wanted to be a good older sister (to both him and the baby on the way), but it seemed like she failed. Erza, sensing Emily's distress, quickly patted her daughter's head and smiled at her.

"No, no, don't feel bad, honey. Dad and I are just a bit worried, but it's normal. You used to have many nightmares too, remember? When you'd squeeze yourself between the two of us?", she asked and Emily blushed, feeling embarrassed.

"I was little then! I'm big now!", she said, running out of the kitchen. "I'm going to brush my teeth!", she yelled from the hall, and Jellal and Erza laughed at their daughter's antics. The man came closer to his wife and put an arm around her shoulder, and she leaned her head on his.

"She _is_ growing up fast, though.", Jellal whispered, reminiscing the old memories. "It was as if just yesterday, I held her in my hands and now, she's already training to become a strong mage, like her mother.", he said and turned his head so he could kiss Erza's nose, and she giggled and brushed it against Jellal's.

"Yes, you are right. They both grew up so fast… I can still remember how Zael would wake us up in the middle of the night.", she said and Jellal chuckled. "He was a fussy baby, wasn't he?", Erza laughed, and unconsciously reached for her belly, gently stroking it.

"And now we have another one on the way.", Jellal said lovingly, and lowered his gaze so he could look at Erza's stomach. "I hope this one won't give us as much trouble as his older siblings.", he joked, though he didn't care even if the baby turned out to be the biggest trouble maker of them all – he'd do anything for her, just as he would for Emily and Zael. They, together with their mother, were his world. They were everything to him and he loved them with an intensity he didn't even know he could muster.

"Oh, no. _He_ will be the calmest one, I can feel it.", Erza said and turned around so she would be face to face with her husband.

"So you think it's a _he_? I think it's a _she_.", Jellal smiled and put one hand on his wife's waist, and the other one over her stomach.

"Mother's intuition.", Erza shrugged. "I knew Emily would be a girl, and I was sure Zael would turn out to be a boy, and I was right, wasn't I?", she smirked and Jellal just smiled and faked a sigh.

"Oh, well, what can you do? We will see in about four months, no?"

"So we're sure we don't want to know the gender?", Erza asked and Jellal nodded.

"We want this one to be a surprise."

The scarlet haired woman laughed and then looked at her husband's smiling face, and she knew there was no place she'd rather be. Their past was a troubled one, and there were many obstacles on their way, but they managed to get through everything and now here they were, in a cozy house on the outskirts of the town, surrounded by lake and forest and grass field, blessed with two beautiful children and a third on the way, with the best friends – the best _family_ – anyone could ask for, and _in each other's arms_. The uncertain future both of them feared turned out to be the brightest one they could ever imagine, and they were looking forward to the rest of their lives, of their _life_ , in this place called home.

As Jellal leaned forward to plant a kiss on Erza's lips, they heard a shriek coming from the kitchen door and turned around to see their daughter, completely red in the face, covering their son's eyes. The little red haired boy made a small pout, and reached with his little hands to fend off his older sister's bigger ones.

"What happened? Mommy? Daddy? Mily, let go!", he tried to pry himself away, but Emily's grip on him was tighter. She then turned around and left the kitchen, pulling her younger brother with her, still blushing from what she saw.

"Let's go, Zael. Mom and dad are being all mushy.", she said, and the last thing the stunned couple could hear was their son's "Eww!", before their children marched up the stairs, going to their rooms.

The kitchen was silent for a few moments, both Jellal and Erza blushing, before both of them erupted into laughter, filling the house with happiness. Up on the floor, Emily and Zael giggled as they hid on the top of the stairs, still watching their parents. Jellal pressed a chaste kiss on Erza's cheek, and she returned the kiss as well, then started pulling out the plates and serving breakfast.

"… You know, I'm still against you going to that mission…", Jellal said, and Erza whined, not wanting to start that conversation _once again_.

Just another day in the Scarlet-Fernandez household.


End file.
